When a Pittsburgh couple bought a toy box from Target for their daughter, they could not have known of the tragedy that would result. Last summer, 2-year-old Camryn Surman suffered a devastating anoxic brain injury  after her air supply was cut off; she is now in a persistent vegetative state.

A lawsuit filed by Camryn's parents this week claims that the injury was a result of the toy box purchased online from Target. The accident occurred when the lid of the rectangular, wicker trunk fell and trapped her neck. Her parents' attorney describes her condition as "as bad as it gets," requiring a feeding tube and constant care.

The lawsuit claims that the toy box was unsafe, and that it should have included a lid support mechanism that would have kept it from snapping shut; alternatively, it could have included a warning of the potential risks. Target has removed the trunk from their website, along with two similar trunks, but has not yet issued a recall.

This tragedy is not the only one in recent days to bring to light the serious issue of unsafe toys. Last month, hundreds of thousands of wind chime toys were recalled  after reports surfaced that babies could pull them apart to reveal sharp metal rods inside. After a 24-month-old baby punctured his cheek with one of these rods, the company Tiny Love issued a voluntary recall. These products were also sold at Target, as well as other stores across the United States and Canada.

For concerned parents, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission maintains a list of toy hazard recalls  , and recalls.gov  is also a valuable resource for alerting American consumers about potentially unsafe or defective products. Though government agencies work hard at regulating the huge number of consumer products sold in the United States, it is also the role of lawsuits like this one to encourage companies to test thoroughly and to include all appropriate warnings – and perhaps prevent tragedies like this in the future.